Top of the Hill

Sunday, September 23, 2012
TOP OF THE HILL
Proper 20B
Mark 9:30-37

Good morning, boys & girls!  There is an old-fashioned game called King of the Hill.  Maybe you've played it before.  One person, the king or queen, stands at the top of a hill.  All of the other players wait all around the bottom of the hill.  At the word "Go!" all of the players at the bottom of the hill start working their way to the top.  Whoever is able to push the king off the top of the hill and takes his or her place first wins the game and is king or queen for the next round.

One day, Jesus and his disciples were walking through Galilee.  They stopped at Capernaum and went to a friend's house.  Once there, Jesus asked his friends what they were arguing about on the road.  Now, the disciples were embarrassed to answer, because they had been bickering about which of them was the greatest.  They knew Jesus wouldn't like them discussing such a selfish topic.  They didn't tell him, but still Jesus knew what the subject of their argument was.  He told them,  “'So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all.'

^36-37" He put a child in the middle of the room. Then, cradling the little one in his arms, he said, “Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me—God who sent me.'"  The Message

In other words, those who fight and claw their way to to the top, pushing others out of the way so that they can be in first position will be last in the Kingdom of God.  God rewards those who care about and take care of others, especially others who need help the most.

Let's pray.  Dear God, thank-you for giving us people in our lives to take care of us.  May we also show your love by being kind and helpful to others.  In Jesus' name, Amen